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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24043735">maybe this time</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashtin/pseuds/ashtin'>ashtin</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Stray Kids (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>M/M, Mentioned/Implied past sexual content, Modern Royalty, Prince Lee Felix (Stray Kids), With A Twist, escaped prince felix, he just wants to live with his dog in peace man, retired royal guard chan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 16:27:09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,367</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24043735</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashtin/pseuds/ashtin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“You fainted, straight into my arms. You know, if you wanted my attention, you didn’t have to go to such extremes.”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Bang Chan/Lee Felix</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>37</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>196</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>the first au for compendium is chanlix! and it's going to be a short chaptered one~!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chan Bang was an honest young man that liked to think he led a pretty normal lifestyle. He woke up with the sun, went into town to buy some essentials (sometimes enough to last him only a few days, other times he bought enough so that he wouldn’t have to venture to the shops for a week or two), and tried to make it back to his home by noon to prepare lunch for himself and his best friend.</p><p> </p><p>“Whaddya say, Bells? Kibbles for you, and a nice chicken soup for myself. Sound good?” He asked the same question to his Golden Retriever every day while scratching the <em> spot </em>behind her ear, with some variation, of course. He didn’t care to eat chicken soup every single day, after all. Some days he preferred something heartier with lots of side dishes and a dessert to top it off. But he’d wait to have that on a later day. </p><p> </p><p>He fixed Bella’s food before his own; it was far easier and much faster to scoop a portion of the expensive dry food from its bag and dump it into the spoiled Retriever’s glass food dish than it was to put on his soup of choice for the day.</p><p> </p><p>Sometimes Chan liked to use a canned soup, but he was in the mood to cook when he’d gone to the shops earlier that day. So instead of stocking up on eleven different types of Campbell's, the young man browsed the vegetable options in the produce area of his favorite grocer. He picked up a few pounds of  meats to go along with different recipes while he was there and made sure to grab a candy bar to reward himself for at least thinking about meal prepping his lunches for the week.</p><p> </p><p>His brain liked to remind him that almost every time he cooked could count as a meal prep, though. Chan always bought and prepared far too much for a single person to finish in one sitting and ended up with enough meals to last him for two to three days at least.</p><p> </p><p>He was halfway through chopping up the last of the carrots when Bella’s head shot up. The dog stood in a guarded stance and growled lowly in a way that had Chan’s hair standing up on his arms.</p><p> </p><p>“What is it, Bells? Is someone here?”</p><p> </p><p>As someone who had been living alone for the last four years of his life, Chan was prepared for almost anything; from intruders and peddlers, to Jehovah's Witnesses or Girl Scouts. But even all that time alone, and many different types of guests on his doorstep, nothing could have prepared him for the sight he was met with when he slid open the glass door that looked out to the forest that separated Chan’s property from the rest of society.</p><p> </p><p>A young boy -Chan assumed he was young from the looks of him, anyway- slowly limped his way through groves of wild dogwood trees and patches of unkempt tall grass and weeds.</p><p> </p><p>“Stay, Bella.” Chan hushed to the dog that was now attempting to weave past Chan’s legs to greet the stranger, and closed the door behind him.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Chan walked to the edge of the back porch where the covering stopped and the sun was sneaking onto the cement. The warmth of the light he was standing in reminded him that he’d stepped out of the house without bothering to put shoes on. But there was no going back in, now. Not when the boy was closing in and looked as if he was going to collapse if the wind so much as blew in his direction.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Chan took a step off the porch and prayed that he wouldn’t step on any sticker burrs, and took another few tentative steps when the boy finally made it out of the shade of the forest and into the small clearing between it and the porch. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Chan gulped. With just a few paces between them he was able to get a better look at the boy… and he didn’t look good. But even under the muddied trousers, torn blouse, and scuffed boots, Chan felt a strike of recognition at upon seeing his dirtied face in the light. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Even though it was greasy and stuck to his forehead in thick strands, Chan wanted to marvel at the sight of the boy’s pale straw colored hair that looked as if it was glowing in the sunlight. A plethora of freckles stood out underneath the specks of dirt and grime on his cheeks, but the most striking feature of all had to be the piercing blue eyes that looked so sad and heartbroken to the point that Chan felt his own heart begin to crackle under their intense gaze when the boy finally stood just a foot in front of him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you okay?” Chan asked dumbly, inching his foot just </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>much closer when the stranger began to sway. “Easy, easy…” He said softly.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He reached his hand out to steady the boy, but as soon as his fingers brushed the marred garment of a blouse, the boy’s legs gave away and he began to fall forward. Right into Chan’s arms.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Chan acted fast before the boy could bring them both to the ground, and hoisted him into his arms, bridal style.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Please,” came a weak whisper from the stranger’s chapped lips. “I do n-not wish to go‒”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Go where?” Chan asked, wondering if the boy could even hear him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>His eyes were closed and his head lolled back over Chan’s arms, making Chan think he’d finally passed out. But then he choked out another sentence.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I- I do not wish to go back there.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Chan carried him into the shaded covering of the porch and took in the stranger’s face once more, wondering if he’d say anything else, but he remained silent.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Let’s get you inside…” Chan whispered, already mapping out a way to get his sliding glass door open with his arms fully occupied.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>twt: @lovelyjjix<br/>cc: curiouscat.me/lovelyjjix<br/>insta: @lovelyjjix</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Chan had half a mind to call an ambulance to his house, but remembering the words the boy had uttered before passing out stopped him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“I do not wish to go-”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Go where?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“I- I do not wish to go back there.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Chan played the scenario over and over in his head as he stirred his soup.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The boy was sleeping soundly on the long sofa in Chan’s living room, and Chan </span>
  <em>
    <span>had </span>
  </em>
  <span>been sitting in the armchair next to it just in case he was to suddenly wake up and freak out about where he was. But in the time he spent next to the boy, Chan counted the times he heard the other’s stomach scream for sustenance. It was on the fifth time that he decided to continue cooking his lunch, and what would now be the stranger’s lunch, he supposed.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Back to where, though?” Chan whispered to himself as he turned to peer back into the living room. He smiled softly upon seeing Bella curled up on the rug directly beside the couch</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>-</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Felix stirred awake when the warm smell of cooked food flooded his senses. Through his grogginess he looked around to try and make sense of his surroundings, but only got far enough to notice the gentle beast of a dog staring up at him through upturned eyes. He was vaguely aware of the sounds coming from what he figured to be the kitchen, but made no move from where he was laying on the couch to confirm his suspicions. But, </span>
  <em>
    <span>oh, </span>
  </em>
  <span>the food smelled so heavenly, and his stomach liked to remind him just how empty it was just as the noises from the kitchen quieted for a moment.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I know, I know. It’s almost finished, just hang in a little while long- Oh. You’re awake.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A man that looked to be a few years older than Felix stood in the doorway that led to where the wonderful smell and telltale noises came from. He stayed put in the doorway and Felix took the opportunity to really observe him. Felix at least recognized him to be the very same man he’d caught a glimpse of before fainting, which had him internally thanking his nonexistent sense of direction for leading him to someone who seemed to be selfless enough to take him in under the bizarre circumstances.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Or at least, Felix hoped that was what happened. For all he knew, the man could have notified the authorities or called an ambulance that just had not reached their location quite yet.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Still, he pushed the unpleasant thoughts to the back of his head as his eyes raked over the man’s frame. He was built with a healthy stature, tall with broad shoulders, and muscled in all the right places that had Felix wary of all intentions of crossing the man. Not that it would be necessary, seeing as he still stood a fair distance away in a non-threatening stance that screamed </span>
  <em>
    <span>‘You can trust me.’ </span>
  </em>
  <span>to Felix. And his face, well, Felix couldn’t recall ever having laid his eyes on someone so attractive in his entire life! Sure, he didn’t find himself unattractive in the slightest, but he felt like the dirt crusted on the bottom of his boots in comparison. But the man’s face was as soft as it was beautiful.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A gentle giant. Felix smiled tiredly at the thought; it reminded him of a story he’d read as a child.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You good, man?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>And the voice of an angel to match</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Felix’s sleep-muddled mind tacked on when the man spoke again before registering that he had directed the question at Felix… and he should probably answer him before he began to wonder if Felix was mute.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh.” Felix began intelligently. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The dog that had been obediently laying on the floor beside him sat up and began to lick at his hands, the action causing Felix to smile and take it as an invitation to pet it. “You have a very nice dog, here.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Her name is Bella.” The man responded, still standing in the doorway. “She doesn’t like strangers.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Felix paused his petting. “Oh?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“But I guess you are an exception of sorts, huh Bells?” The man smiled with a small giggle that sent Felix’s heart soaring.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>-</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I was in the middle of making lunch when you… stumbled upon this place.” Chan explained when the boy’s stomach growled once more. “It will be done soon and you’re more than welcome to join me.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I- Uh, yeah. I’m starved, actually.” He answered, cheeks blushing a deep pink that made his already striking sapphire eyes almost look as if they were glowing.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“So I’ve heard.” Chan laughed when the boy rolled his eyes in embarrassment. “No worries, I always make way too much anyway.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I really appreciate it. Thank you.” The boy thanked him with so much sincerity that it pulled at Chan’s heartstrings. “But, aren’t you going to ask why I showed up and why I… look like this?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I was getting there. But I figured overwhelming you after only </span>
  <em>
    <span>just </span>
  </em>
  <span>waking up from fainting wasn’t the best plan of action.” Chan explained calmly as he moved to sit back in the chair he’d occupied while the boy was asleep.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh. Well… thank you.” He bit at his lip while absently scratching behind Bella’s ear. “I think you’re safe to ask me anything, now. I promise I won’t blackout on you again.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Three loud knocks on his door had Chan standing from the chair in alarm.</p><p>To his surprise, the boy looked even more alarmed than himself. In fact, Chan thought he looked absolutely terrified.</p><p>“Uh, stay here. I’ll go see who it is.” He tried to calm the boy before slipping into the front foyer to answer the impatient knocking.</p><p>Realization hit Chan like a ton of bricks when he got a look at the men standing outside of his house.</p><p>“How can I help you, gentlemen?” He asked the two members of the Royal Guard.</p><p>The one to Chan’s left sputtered when he looked up to see who was addressing them. “Ch-Christopher? You live here?”</p><p>“I have been living here since my discharge. I go by Chan, now, too.” Chan hoped his bristled stance was enough to send the guards away, but he knew these men. He was one of them once. He knew they wouldn’t leave without the answers they wanted. “Now, not to sound rude, but what brings you to my side of the woods?”</p><p>“The prince…” The guard on Chan’s right began. “He was reported missing from the palace this morning. We were sent to search-”</p><p>“The prince?” Chan looked between the two of them with his eyebrows furrowed. Of all of the years he worked with the Royal Guard, not once had he even seen a hair from the supposed prince. He would have even argued the prince’s very existence at one point, had he not received a personal letter of condolence from the man upon his mandated discharge from duty.</p><p>“Surely you don’t expect me to know anything about a nameless prince.” He said, crossing his arms. </p><p>“Felix.” The guard on the left all but whispered out the name as if saying it was some sort of taboo Chan was unaware of.</p><p>“Pardon?”</p><p>“The prince has a name, Chris. His name is Prince Felix.”</p><p>“That’s great. I’m happy you two know his name, but you’re still speaking gibberish to me. You know that I’ve never even seen so much as his silhouette.” Chan was getting frustrated, now. </p><p>Here he was, trying to live his life in peace and <em> away </em> from the palace and everything in and surrounding its protective barrier charms. <em> Away </em>from the very place that shut him out without any rhyme or reason as to why he was being made to leave. Not even the personal letter from the phantom prince himself mattered to Chan. </p><p>And now he was being questioned by the same people who showed him his way out about the prince?! How the hell was he supposed to know jack shit about a man he questioned the existence of?</p><p>The two men eyed each other nervously before one nodded to the other. With a heavy sigh, the one to Chan’s left began to rummage through the messenger case he had strapped across his body and pulled out a folded sheet of paper and held it out to Chan. </p><p>“What is that?” Chan asked cautiously. The last thing he’d ever held with the royal seal on it had been his discharge notice that contained an extra small piece of paper in its folds. Chan nearly trashed in his haste to be done with the damned palace. Had it not fallen to the ground and crunched under his shoes, he would have never seen the handwritten letter from his prince.</p><p>“Open and look, Chris.” The man who’d handed it to him pushed softly and Chan relented, carefully undoing the folds and opening the paper until a familiar face with bright blue eyes stared back at him.</p><p>Chills ran down Chan’s body, but he schooled his expression and hoped that the other two guards didn’t notice the realization in his eyes. </p><p>“I… This is him? This is the young prince?” Chan croaked out after he’d stared at the face for a long moment.</p><p>Both guards nodded.</p><p>“You’ve seen him before, but you just didn’t realize it was him. He was free to walk among the palace grounds as long as he didn’t stand out. Only his personal guard and companions knew his real identity… until this morning when they gave us the photo.”</p><p>“The kid in the gardens…” Chan whispered as memories of pale strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes flashed across his mind, and with them, the realization of just who was currently sitting on his couch.</p><p>“The gardens… the libraries… the stables. He was everywhere we went back then and we had no idea.” The guard went on and Chan began to wonder just how urgent their search was if they were bothering to take all of their time to explain everything to him. Or maybe they just felt he had the right to know after working closely with them for seven long years.</p><p>“And you’re telling me that <em> this </em>boy, this child, has run off?” He asked, finally assessing how young the prince looked. </p><p>“Chris… he’s 24.”</p><p>Chan shook his head in disbelief.</p><p>“He looks fourteen. Are you sure they didn’t replace the prince with a child by accident? Or maybe you’re chasing the wrong person…”</p><p>The guards both fixed him with incredulous looks before the one to Chan’s left seemingly decided he was no longer worth any of their precious time.</p><p>“Let us know if you find something, yeah?” He said as he reached to take the photo of the prince back from Chan.</p><p>Chan nodded, even though he was already knee deep in the shit and should have probably said ‘oh, well, funny you should ask. I’m pretty sure he fainted in my arms about half an hour ago!’ But he remained silent and saw the two men off until they were both seated in the unmarked car at the end of his drive.</p><p>- </p><p>Through the entryway that led into the living room, Chan spotted the boy now on the floor with his companion. He was curled up to the large dog and petting her fur with a gentleness that made Chan’s heart squeeze fondly at the scene. But he had questions to ask… and they couldn’t wait for later.</p><p>“So, are you going to tell me who you really are? Or am I going to have to say exactly who I’m fairly sure you are and then you scramble to come up with excuses?”</p><p>The boy, who Chan assumed still had no idea who had just paid them a visit, startled in his relaxed position against Bella’s side and gaped up at Chan like a fish out of water.</p><p>“Either way,” Chan continued as he stepped further into the living room, "we need to move this elephant out of my house so that I can <em> finally </em>eat lunch. And I know you’re starving, too, so let’s get the ball rolling, shall we?”</p><p>“Please…” the boy’s eyes lowered to the ground and he shook his head slowly. “Please, don’t make me go back.”</p><p>“You really are the prince…” Chan said in an awestruck tone. He closed his eyes and took everything in as slow as possible. Deep breath in through the nose, a long calming exhale through his lips. “So, I.. just lied to the Royal fucking Guard.”</p><p>The boy gulped. “I… I can explain.”</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The boy gulped. “I… I can explain.”</p><p>“I sure hope so!” Chan huffed out a humorless laugh and began to pace around the space of his living room. “Do you understand that I could be arrested and possibly even <em> killed </em>for lying about not knowing where you are?!”</p><p>Chan ran a hand through his hair and groaned. He looked down at the boy still sitting in a heap in front of his couch and sighed. “Why did you leave? How did you get this far without anyone finding you?”</p><p>The boy - the <em> prince, Felix, </em>- curled his fingers into his palms and rested his hands on either of his knees. He cast his crystal clear eyes up at Chan and the former guard felt his breath catch in his throat.</p><p>“I didn’t want to be found.” He stated simply. “I retired to my room early yesterday afternoon, planned my escape, and I was gone out of the palace barriers by sundown.”</p><p>“But… no one reported you missing until this morning?” Chan further questioned him.</p><p>“I dismissed the troupe that usually watched over me before I went to my room.” Felix looked down at his hands and drew in a deep breath. “No one… not even my personal guard and companion knew I was leaving.”</p><p>“But how did no one <em> see </em>you leave? There’s always been guards all over the palace… I don’t‒”</p><p>Felix cut him off with a suspicious glance. “How do you know where the guards are posted?” He asked incredulously.</p><p>“Because,” Chan sniffed, eyeing the younger boy cautiously. He didn’t know how he would react to knowing what Chan used to be, or if Felix would even trust him after it… which caused him to be a little wary. “Once upon a time, I <em> was </em>one of them.”</p><p>Felix swallowed hard and Chan swore that he saw the blue of the younger’s eyes glow for a split second, but he was quickly distracted when Bella moved away from Felix’s side and rushed to stand beside Chan’s feet.</p><p>“O-Oh…” Felix said after the moment passed. “Nice to formally meet you…”</p><p>“Chan. Call me Chan, your high‒”</p><p>“Please, <em> please, </em>don’t call me that. Felix is fine.” Felix lowered his gaze to the floor and scoffed. “I’ve never been a prince. Not until I finally escaped. All of a sudden I’m important because I’m missing.”</p><p>Chan sank into his chair and eyed the haggard looking young prince for a long moment before he spoke again.</p><p>“I used to think that you didn’t exist.” He admitted quietly.</p><p>Felix flinched at his words but still managed to crack a small, sad smile. “I may as well not have.” </p><p>“But I guess I was just blind.” Chan said in disbelief as he recalled what the other guards had told him. “You roamed the palace grounds right under my nose. I <em> remember </em>you… I think. Mainly your eyes, to be honest. But I always thought you were a servant’s child or someone’s companion.”</p><p>“If you saw me, it’s because I allowed you to see me.” The young prince said wistfully before he sighed, nodding. “I was able to go anywhere I pleased as long as I never crossed the barriers and as long as no one knew who I was.”</p><p>Chan nodded his head slowly and gestured for the younger man to stand and follow him to the dining area of his house.</p><p>‒ </p><p>“You don’t have to answer this…” Chan began once they were both seated with a bowl of soup in front of each of them. “But why did you leave? And why do you not want to go back? Don’t you have to, like, rule the land someday or something along that line?”</p><p>Felix blew off the steam that was steadily rising from his spoonful of soup and shuddered when he finally got a taste of the warm liquid and its contents. He’d gone to his room without eating lunch the day before and had already left the palace by the time his dinner <em> would </em>have been. Felix was surprised that his stomach hadn’t started to eat itself from the inside out at that point!</p><p>The soup was hearty and already one of the best things Felix had ever eaten, and he’d only taken one bite! The only thing that would satisfy him further was the tall glass of water beside his bowl, along with a nice long nap in a <em> bed. </em>But he would settle for just the soup and water for the time being. He’d stalled from answering the generous man’s questions for long enough.</p><p>He dipped his spoon back into the bowl and left it there as he met Chan’s eyes across the table and cleared his throat.</p><p>“I will never rule anything. No kingdom, no land,” Felix’s nose scrunched up cutely and he shook his head. “nothing of the sort. I was never raised nor groomed to do any kind of ruling or political decision making beyond the basic curriculum my tutor refused to skip over - despite what my parents had to say about it.”</p><p>Felix spooned another bite of food into his mouth and welcomed the warmth of the thick liquid and its contents. His entire body felt cold just from explaining the parts of his life that had always been kept away from the public eye. He felt as if he was committing some sort of heinous crime by outing himself as such a useless royal after so many years of silence.</p><p>But, contrary to how he felt about the confession, Chan was looking at him with eyes just as warm as the soup he’d provided. Even if he didn’t fully understand ‒ which Felix knew he didn’t… he couldn’t. Even so, he still treated the broken prince with kindness and respect that he’d only ever experienced during interactions with his guard or his companion. And, oh… He was missing those two more than he predicted he would.</p><p>‒ </p><p>“Those guards aren’t going to give up, you know. I’m pretty sure they only told me your identity because I used to work with them. Had I been just a regular citizen they would have just shown me the photo of you and asked if I knew your whereabouts without revealing much.” Chan studied the prince’s face and realized that Felix was indeed much older than fourteen. He cracked a small smile at that. “The picture they’re using has to be outdated. You look like a child in it.”</p><p>Felix shrugged. “I probably was.”</p><p>“Well, that’s not a very reliable source to go off of if they’re trying to locate you. Which, I guess is helpful in your case.” Chan continued to chatter and fill what would have been an awkward silence otherwise.</p><p>Felix was doing his best to keep up with the chattering. He really was. But with a belly full of food and the warmth and comfort of a roof over his head, both his eyes and his consciousness were slipping, and he felt as if he was unable to fight either.</p><p>“You’re exhausted, aren’t you?” Chan asked with a small lilt in his voice that had Felix suspecting that the man was smiling at him. Suspected, because he was currently fighting a losing battle with keeping his head upright, now.</p><p>He faintly registered the sound of a chair scooting across the floor and Chan’s soft voice in his ear.</p><p>“Alright, let's at least get you to a bed before you pass out on me, again.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>twt: @lovelyjjix<br/>insta: @lovelyjjix<br/>cc: curiouscat.me/lovelyjjix</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>twt: @lovelyjjix<br/>cc: curiouscat.me/lovelyjjix</p></blockquote></div></div>
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